


Not the Usual Way

by Kurokosou



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gift for a friend, M/M, Magic AU, Not my AU, and I love it, familiar AU, it was awesome, lance is a giant bunny, shiro has family issues, we did an au trade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22067569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurokosou/pseuds/Kurokosou
Summary: It was an unusual request - something new that Shiro has never asked of him before; but if even the smallest little thing could help ease the pain of the past, Lance would gladly do it for Shiro.
Relationships: Lance & Shiro (Voltron), Lance/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	Not the Usual Way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [koalaoshiz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalaoshiz/gifts).



> A little AU trade gift for koalaoshiz because I said I wanted to bring in the new year with a fic, but didn't know what and they suggested we write something from each other's ideas/AUs because we both have waaaaaay too many ahaha... Ending is suuuuuuper rushed, but I wanted to get this out before evening ended \o/ (not beta'd)

The door slammed behind him with a loud click, letting out a heavy sigh as he moved to pull his shawl off his shoulders. He absolutely hated dealing with anything to do with the Old Families and any associations of his own family, but even he couldn’t escape certain obligations that were required of him – no matter how hard he tried to leave it all behind. Another sigh escaped him, hanging up his woolen shawl on the carved coat rack standing discreetly by the door. He bent down to unlace the ties of his boots, carefully slipping them off with a groan and setting them aside by the door frame. He padded quietly across the threshold, crossing through the living towards the kitchen; perhaps a good brew of tea would calm his nerves.

He never quite made it to the kitchen however, pausing in his brief journey as a familiar bundle of caramel-coloured fur caught his attention. A smile bloomed on his face at the sight, ever so carefully and silently tip-toeing closer to the couch where the fairly large Flemish giant laid – well, maybe “laid” wasn’t the right word at this moment. The giant bun was flopped over half on his back, head tilted back against the couch cushion and his front paws folded over in a begging-like position. One of the bun’s back legs was sticking nearly straight up in the air, the other still down on the couch, the sight almost comical to witness. Shiro couldn’t help but chuckle at the sleeping rabbit Feathered he called his familiar, reaching into his back pocket slowly so is not to disturb the snoozing creature as he pulled his phone out.

Unfortunately the click of the camera made the giant stir, Shiro quickly shoving his phone back into his pocket before he could be caught. He continued on to the kitchen as if he hadn’t been interrupted, shifting through the cupboards as he pulled out his mug and a jar of tea leaves he had made specifically for nerves. He had just set a kettle to boil on the stove, turning around to find a young man with dark cocoa hair, still mussed from sleep, a hand rubbing at half-closed eyes.

“Have a good nap, Lance?” Shiro asked, leaning back against the counter as he watched the man shuffle his way into the kitchen.

“You’re back sooner than I thought you’d be…” Lance answered back through a yawn, blindly pawing at the cupboards for his own mug. Shiro gave a simple shrug, making a non-committed noise as he turned his gaze away from the Feathered.

“I made sure I didn’t have to hang around longer than necessary,” was all he said. Lance watched him, silent as stone and face just as passive before he shrugged, reaching up the top shelf for his own special jar Shiro had made just for him. He knew Shiro had – issues dealing with his family, his family name and just, well, really anything related to the oldies. Lance knew it was a sensitive subject for the man, so for the most part he tried to avoid talking about it – not unless he wanted to deal with a sulking, moody master for the rest of the day. The whistling of the kettle broke the silence that fell between them, Shiro moving first to turn the burner off and waiting a moment for the steam to disperse before pouring the water into their mugs.

Lance thanked him quietly as he uncapped his jar, dumping a pinch of herbs and leaves into his mug, the aroma filling the room instantly. He watched as the tension in Shiro’s shoulders melted away as the smells permeated the room, a small smile coming to his face as they waited for the tea to seep before Shiro took up his mug and made his way back out to the living room. Lance stood for a moment longer before rifling through the cupboards again, tapping his finger to his chin in thought and settled on a couple of pre-packed biscuits to go with his tea. He wandered back out with his steaming cup and a handful of crinkling packets, easing himself slowly to kneel on the floor; he knew he didn’t have to sit directly at Shiro’s feet, the man having told him several times over that it was unnecessary, but Lance felt more at peace being closer to the ground. He couldn’t be sure if it was because of the animal form he took or some distance memory he associated with comfort, but the Feathered had never been at ease sitting in a chair.

Shiro only just barely stopped himself from repeating his usual grievances, quickly taking a sip from his tea to stall the words he knew would be faced with annoyance. He knew Lance felt more at ease sitting on the floor then on furniture, but it still bothered him to have someone – Feathered or not – sitting almost so obediently at his feet. It was the very reason why he went out of his way to buy the softest, most plush faux fur rug he could find to lay on the polished wood for Lance. He hadn’t been sure it would be a hit with the familiar, but that worry disappeared the moment he had set the rug down and Lance immediately began rolling around the off-white rug – in his rabbit form – enjoying the feel of the soft fur against his own. That memory brought a smile to his face, Shiro making a note to re-watch the video he took that day once he was out of Lance’s company.

“Thinking of something good, big guy~?” Lance’s teasing voice jolted Shiro out of his nostalgic mood. He cleared his throat, taking a sip from his mug to delay answering the Feathered, those large dark blue eyes gazing at him with a lopsided smirk.

“Oh, just thinking maybe I should quit the whole ‘magic’ gimmick and open a bunny café,” Shiro joked, trying not to laugh at the choking noise Lance made as the other gaped at him.

“Wha-? What brought this idea on?!” he huffed, his hair puffing up in response to his emotions. Shiro bit his lip to keep from bursting out loud laughing, setting his mug down on the coffee table as he leaned back against the couch.

“That I wanted to parade you around as the mascot – you’d be a great one, you know. You have no idea how irresistibly cute you are as a rabbit,” Shiro teased. He had to laugh at the silent, high-pitched screech the familiar was making, Lance tearing apart the packaging around his biscuits and shoving the handful into his mouth, trying to hide the blush occupying his face. Shiro’s laughter trailed off into a small chuckle, leaning forward to take up his mug again, settling back into the cushions as he stared into the dark liquid swirling around his cup. He could feel the smile slipping from his face, memories of the morning creeping back into his mind as it played back the meeting. A bitterness bubbled up in his chest, threatening to spill from his throat at how carelessly his family name had been thrown around, each trying to show off their prestige, each wanting to secure a connection to his family despite not having anything to do with them for quite some time now.

“…Shiro…?” The soft spoken breath of his name pulled his attention back to the present, thundering grey eyes gazing down into the deep ocean blue eyes staring up at him in concern. Shiro shook his head, pushing these dark feelings away as he flashed his familiar a tentative smile.

“I’m alright, Lance – I promise,” he said. He couldn’t help but shrink back a little as those wide blue eyes searched him, seeming to see beyond his flesh and bones and right through his very soul. He could see Lance give him a tired little sigh, but otherwise remained quiet as he gave a small nod of his head; Shiro knew he couldn’t keep these feelings to himself, but he wasn’t quite willing to burden Lance – or anyone, really – with this cross he chose to bear. The ticking clock hanging on the wall became the only sound between them, their respective sips quiet besides the little crunch from Lance as he nibbled through his biscuits.

“Do you – do you want to cuddle with me for a bit?” Lance finally asked after what seemed like an eternity. Shiro could see him starting to shift, swiftly reaching a hand to stop him before he could really comprehend why; the action startled them both, Shiro drawing his hand back as a light tint of pink coloured his cheeks.

“Could you, um, stay like this? As human, I mean. I know I haven’t asked of this from you before, but I…” Shiro hesitated, unsure of why he was making this request. He pushed himself deeper into the couch cushions half hoping he would disappear between them. Lance studied him for a long, silent moment before pushing himself off from the floor; he settled himself by the man’s side, slowly and cautiously leaning into his space, giving him time to change his mind and pull away.

When Shiro didn’t move, Lance allowed himself to rest fully against the man; unsure of what to do with his arms, he carefully circled them around the slender waist, tenderly resting his head against the broad chest – much like he tended to do when he was in his rabbit form. He could feel Shiro stiffen for a brief moment before he relaxed, feeling sturdy, strong arms wrap around him. He could feel Shiro resting his head on top of his, feeling more than hearing the content sigh that slipped from the man’s lips. Lance listened to the steady thumping of his master’s heart – a huge contrast to the erratic beating his own heart was doing, feeling the subtle rise and fall of slow, even breathes as he could feel Shiro slowly drift into a light doze. An unfamiliar feeling of warmth blossomed from his stomach, spreading up to his chest, to his limbs, feeling a rise of heat coming to his cheeks; he was glad Shiro couldn’t see his face from this angle.

It was an unusual request for sure, something Shiro had never asked of before, usually preferring to cuddle with Lance in his familiar form; Lance couldn’t even phantom what this change could possibly mean – what it meant for the two of them…together. Lance violently shook that thought from his brain; they were Feathered and Parchment, a contracted pair and nothing more that bonded them together. He could feel Shiro’s arms going lax around him, cautiously titling his head up enough to catch the man’s sleeping face; the meeting seemed to have exhausted Shiro more than he had let on. Lance couldn’t help the smile, quietly worming his way out of the slumbering embrace and with practise ease, laid the man back till he was resting flat on his back. Shifting in his Flemish form, Lance climbed his way onto Shiro’s chest, his nose twitching with worry as the man made a noise, but otherwise remained asleep.

Settling himself comfortably, Lance laid his head down, content to watch as his master slept, knowing he’d feel better once he woke up in a couple hours. The bun’s mind couldn’t help but wander back to the embrace as a human, feeling his heart jump back up for a brief moment before he managed to settle it back down. He did not fully understand the reasons why Shiro wanted to hold him while in human form, but if it could ease whatever pain of the past the man experience just that much more, than Lance would gladly do it again.


End file.
